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The photographer

A reporter who observed the results of an extensive security raid in the metropolitan area has described how residents came back with mutilated bodies of people who lost their lives.

The bodies "kept coming: the count kept increasing", the photographer described. The total contained those of police officers.

One of the bodies was discovered headless - while others appeared "totally disfigured", he said. Many also had evidence of stab wounds.

Over 120 individuals were killed during Tuesday's raid targeting an illegal organization - the bloodiest action Rio has experienced.

The eyewitness stated that residents first notified him concerning the action early on Tuesday by residents of the Alemão neighbourhood, who reached out telling him an armed confrontation was occurring.

The photographer went to the healthcare center, where the bodies were arriving.

Itan explained that the police stopped members of the press from accessing the operation zone, where the operation were occurring.

"Law enforcement personnel formed a line and declared: 'Media representatives are not allowed to pass'."

However, the photographer, who grew up in the area, stated he managed to gain access into the restricted zone, where he continued through the night.

He explained that evening, community members commenced searching the mountainous area that borders the community of Penha and the adjacent Alemão area for relatives whose whereabouts were unknown since the police raid.

Residents of the Penha neighbourhood proceeded to place the recovered bodies in a public space - the documented evidence display the emotions of the gathered crowd.

"The violence of it all affected me profoundly: the grief of relatives, mothers fainting, pregnant wives, crying, outraged parents," the eyewitness remembered.

The eyewitness

The governor of Rio state announced that the extensive law enforcement effort involving around 2,500 law enforcement members was aimed at halting a gang known as Red Command from expanding its territory.

Initially, local officials maintained that sixty individuals and four police officers" had been killed in the raid.

Authorities later reported that initial estimates suggests that 117 alleged criminals have been killed.

Rio's public defender's office, that gives legal support to disadvantaged individuals, has put the final tally of people killed at 132.

Based on expert analysis, the criminal organization is the only criminal group which in recent years has succeeded to make territorial gains throughout Rio state.

It is generally regarded one of the two largest gangs in the country, alongside another major gang, and has a history spanning over five decades.

According to correspondent Rafael Soares, with extensive experience documenting criminal activity in the city extensively, the criminal organization "functions as a network" with neighborhood bosses joining the organization and serving as "business partners".

The criminal group engages primarily in drug trafficking, but also smuggles firearms, valuable minerals, fuel, liquor and tobacco.

According to the authorities, gang members have substantial firearms and police said that throughout the operation, they encountered resistance via weaponized unmanned aircraft.

The governor of the region, the government representative, characterized gang affiliates as "narcoterrorists" and referred to the security forces fatally injured in the action as "heroes".

But the number of casualties in the operation has received condemnation from international human rights authorities stating they were "shocked".

During a press briefing the next day, the state leader defended the police force.

"It wasn't our intention to cause fatalities. We wanted to detain everyone safely," he declared.

He added that the events intensified as the individuals fought back: "It was a consequence of the retaliation they carried out and the disproportionate use of force by those criminals."

The state leader also said that the bodies presented by community members in Penha had been "tampered with".

Via a statement through digital channels, he asserted that certain victims had been stripped of the camouflage clothing he said they had been wearing "to transfer accusation to security forces".

Felipe Curi representing security forces further reported that "camouflage clothing, protective equipment, and arms" had been removed from the bodies and showed footage apparently demonstrating a man cutting camouflage clothing {off a corpse